Types of Jib Cranes
Jib cranes are made up of a trolley hoist on a horizontal load-bearing boom. This boom is attached to a pivoting vertical member and up to 20 feet long. Jib cranes could move loads between any areas within the boom's arc of rotation. Light duty models are used in factories and warehouses for loads weighing up to 5 tons. The BestJibCranes.com web site features the major types of jib cranes as being either wall-mounted, mast mounted or free-standing.
Free Standing
The free-standing jib crane models do not require any support from the building structure and could stand by themselves. The horizontal boom in this specific case is connected to a pivoting vertical column which is anchored firmly to the building floor. This type of jib crane could rotate a full 360 degrees and needs a foundation made of either steel or concrete.
Mast-Type
The vertical column on the mast-type jib cranes are supported by pivot points at the top and the bottom. These pivots are attached to the floor of the building and the overhead steel structure. These jib-cranes provide 360 degrees of rotation with the advantage of not requiring the massive foundation required for free-standing units.
Wall Mounted
The wall-mounted jib cranes offer a horizontal boom which is attached to the wall of a building rather than the normal vertical column. These machine provide up to 200 degrees of rotation and are ideal in areas where the full 360 degree rotation is not needed.
There are two model varieties, depending on how the boom is supported. One of the kinds uses a tie rod which is connected from above the wall to the boom. The other kind supports the boom from below by utilizing a cantilever brace that is attached to the wall as well.